Tree fee for watershed groups 'short-sighted'

P.E.I.'s official Opposition is asking the province to remove a fee watershed groups have to pay for saplings from the government nursery.

The fee of $0.50 a tree was brought in for the 2016 planting season. Before that, groups received the saplings free of charge.

MLA Brad Trivers wonders why government started charging now, when there's so much focus on reducing carbon emissions.

"It's just very short-sighted of this government. Especially with the value those trees will add [with] reforesting," said Trivers, "acting as carbon sinks, and actually taking carbon out of the air, and really working towards fewer greenhouse gases, and slowing down of climate change."

Trees still subsidized

Watershed groups on the Island paid government about $13,000 this year for 26,000 saplings.

P.E.I. Environment Minister Robert Mitchell said each tree costs government $6, so the province is subsidizing more than 90 per cent of the cost.

He also said government has increased funding for watershed groups.

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